


The move to edmonton

by Anna1992a



Category: Onward (2020)
Genre: Medical Terminology, Sick Ian, the lightfoots move to edmonton
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26699917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna1992a/pseuds/Anna1992a
Summary: After getting out of the hospital and spending July 4th at his grandparents house, ian begins to throw up because of the meds he was on and ends up having to go to the er to get fluids. Laurel and barley freak out and laurel comes to the conclusion and takes this as a sign that they needed to move to edmonton to be closer to the hospital.Barley blacks out and ian gets hurt from a fight he and barley got into. he survives but barley moves back to his old town.
Relationships: Barley Lightfoot/Ian Lightfoot
Kudos: 3





	The move to edmonton

That morning, ian and laurel along with barley were supposed to head back to their house but earlier that morning around 3 am, ian started vomiting horribly and coukdnt stop. He made it to the bathroom but he couksnt move from the place he was sitting which happened to be the floor with his head in the toilet.  
His whole body felt drained of energy and his chest rapidly rose and fell as he heaved over and over. Around 530, barley heard ian throwing up his heels and went to try and help the best he could. This alerted laurel who ran in and tried to clean ian up as he was passed out with the back of his head leaning against the tub. Vomit was all over the floor and tub and toilet and ians clothes. He overall looked exhausted like he had just run 2 5k races in a row.  
His labored breathing was what really concerned laurel the most over his nausea. It wasnt that she wasn't concerned about ian puking but she was more concerned about his breathing as he has a history of not breathing in his sleep.  
"Oh barley, this is not good. Do you know what this means?" Laurel said as she grabbed a handful of washcloths out of the cabinet and motioned for Barley to moisten them with warm water.  
"He has to go back to the hospital doesnt he?" Barley said, a look of fatigue and a state of being emotionally drained covering his face.  
"That and that means we won't be going back home for a while. I hate to say this but it has to be said. Barley, i have been thinking long and hard over the past few days and I think its time we move closer to this hospital. We need to move to edmonton asap. Just as soon as ian gets out of the hospital if they readmit him. Im going to need you to get dressed and then get back to the house and stsrt packing up your things and ians things. Put the sacks in the living room. Okay?"  
Barley looked down at the floor, a look of pure emotional pain and stress covered his face. Along with being tired didnt help at all. He helped laurel wipe the floor up and the tub and toilet and his tired brother who had passed out from throwing up for 2.5 hours straight. Once they cleaned the tub and everything up, laurel went and got ian some fresh clothes and then ran a warm bath for ian. She undressed him and put him in the tub; his weak body twitching slightly from the comfort of the warmth and not being used to the change in temperature as well.  
After she bathed ian, she got him dried off and dressed and then carried him, with help from Barley, out to the car. By this time, he had woken up slightly and was wondering what was going on and why he was ready to leave and noone else was and they were still in their pjs.  
Ian questioned laurels motives and laurel told ian that he had been throwing up for 2.5 hours and she was going to take him to the er. It was evident that ian had forgotten that he had thrown up so much and he was oblivious to his surroundings as he was so out of it because of dehydration from chucking so much.  
She looked at barley and told him to go back to the house and do what she told him.  
He obeyed and then headed out still in his pjs.  
Ian began to cry as laurel drove to the hospital.  
Once they got to the hospital, a nurse took them into a er room and that qas when the dr noticed that they were there and came into their room to talk to them. Laurel told the dr the whole situation and the dr said that he would order some iv fluids for ian and then have laurel and ian sign a paper stating that if ian needed meds to contact him directly, tell him the symptoms and then he would order the meds and home health woukd bring them out.  
Laurel signed the paper as well as ian and then she told the dr that she and ian woukd be staying at her parents house in Edmonton and to let home health come out to her parents house.  
The dr gave her another forum to sign that was a change of address for the home health people to know where to go. She gave it to the dr and then said that he would give one bag of saline to ian now and then let him go with another one if needed.  
He ordered some bloodwork and then looked down at his clipboard.  
"You do know miss lightfoot that if ian doesn't stop vomiting he will need a ng tube and we both know he doesn't like those."  
Ians ear twitched and he furrowed his brow when he heard about the tube.  
Laurel patted ians leg and told him it would be ok.  
"I know dr. It really worries me how sick ian has been since he turned 16. I really wish his health wasn't as bad as it has been. It makes me worried sick and don't even get me started about barley. He hasent been the same since shortly after ian turned 16 and got his first trach tube. He jsut doesn't have the same pep in his step as he used to."  
"I know miss lightfoot. I am sorry to tell you but the meds that we gave your son isn't a miracle cure. He is healed to a point but he will always be sick some way or another because there is still irreparable damage to some internal organs. Im sorry ma'am to be the bearer of bad news."  
"Its ok sir. I kinda figured that one out the hard way. Ians stomach hasn't been the same since he was 'revived.' His lungs are the same way. He gasps sometimes when he breathes and forget running without pain. His joints are like my dads, sore and not as good as they once were when he was ians age."  
The dr nodded his head and then said something that made ian madder than hell.  
"Until ians stomach gets to a point he won't vomit when he eats large meals, I'm going to have to put him on a nj feeding tube through his nose. Ian is going to hate me but it is for the best. A nurse will be in to put it in and draw blood momentarily."  
The dr then left on that note before Ian sat up and threw something at him.  
And ian did sit up and furrow his brow, glaring at laurel and then at the door.  
"Im not getting no damn nose tube mom. The dr can kiss my arse." Ian said, his tone of voice totally different than it had been.  
"Ian, you know the dr is doing whats best for you. Common now. You can't hold things down without pain or nausea and sometimes the nausea meds don't even work and instead of sleeping you are kissing the toilet and praising it like a God in a church meeting. That isn't right ian. I know you are angry at the dr and me but at least do it for your health until your treatment is over with. Then if you still want it out we can talk to the dr again. There won't be guarantees he will say yes but that will be a little times away."  
Ian groaned and then sighed. He looked at laurel and then said, "fine whatever mom. But I'm not happy."  
Just as Ian sat up in the bed, 2 nurses came in. One drew the blood which didn't phase ian at all. Then they hooked ian up to an iv fluid bag. Again, no big deal. And then a nurse got a wheelchair and told ian that he would be wheeled to radiology because the tube would be going past the stomach into the small intestine and they needed to make sure they were going in the right direction when they insert it.  
Ian sighed and then sat in the wheelchair. He huffed and glared at laurel who shrugged her shoulders and waved to ian as he left out to go to radiology.  
Once he got there, they gave ian a small dose of anti anxiety meds and shortly after, with little trouble, they got the tube down Ian's nose, throat and into his stomach and intestines.  
The procedure took close to 15 to 20 mins but once it was done, ian was mad but dazed as he was high off the anxiety meds.  
The nurse rolled ian back to his er room and then when he got back, the blood work results were back as well.  
The results showed severe dehydration as everyone already knew.  
Once ian got back to his er room, he dizzily climbed onto the bed and sighed. He looked at laurel who laughed and knew automatically he had the anxiety med high going on.  
"There, you and barley had better be happy now. Because I'm sure as hell not. They had to give me an anti anxiety pill to make it to where I wouldnt move because I was about to high tail it out the door. They made me sit back on the bed I was on the bed for 20 mins as they scanned my stomach with a radar monitor to see the direction the tube was going in through my intestines. I watched the whole thing and threw up in my mouth and then swallowed it and let me tell you, stomach acid isn't tasty."  
Laurel laughed and then shook her head.  
Ian glared at her again and then said ,"shut up. Im still mad at you thats why I'm not happy."  
"You don't say? Thats usually how it goes."

Ian stuck out his tounge and then laid back on the bed.  
"So whats this about us living with grama?" Ian asked laurel who told ian the reason why.  
Ian sighed because once again, he was the reason why they had to up and do something majorly drastic once again.  
"Does Grama know about it?" Ian asked laurel who nodded and then said, "It was her idea to have us stay with her until we get a place of our own. She knows everything, even about home health comming over and all. She said it was ok."  
Ian nodded his head and then laid back on a pillow. He closed his eyes and tried to get some rest. He ended up dozing and taking a small nap to pass the time away.  
2 hours later and his iv bag was complete. ian was released home and continued to doze on the way back to laurels parents house.  
Once they got back to ians grandparents house, barley was outside with his van and ians car hooked up behind it.  
Barley ran over towards laurels car and opened ians door. The first look on his face was sad.  
"He had to have the tube back didnt he? Is he that bad off?"  
Laurel sighed and then said, "Barley, the meds in his treatment only do so much. The dr said that there will be issues with ians body that won't be fixable and more than likely his stomach is one of them. It can digest but cant hold alot, hence ian loosing weight and such. He can still eat but needs tube food as well to supplement. Home health is comming over here tomorrow to give more meds and supplies and to talk to ian as he is a new patient and they have to. It won't be fun but they need to talk to everyone in the house hold to teach us how to use the feeding machine and if we know how to take care of ian if he needs help."  
"But we allready know mom. Sadly, I know like the back of my hand and like a deck of quest of yore cards how to flush a line and setup a feeding tube machine. I know how to change diapers and am learning how to insert and remove a catheter. With the knowledge we both know, we could both be nurses."  
Laurel sighed and wiped a tear from her face. She knew barley was telling the truth and that saddened her. She just wanted ian to come to some form of normalcy in his health. But she had to remember that this wasnt ians fault that his body wasn't wanting him to function like a normal 19 year old.  
"Ar least he is alive, barley. The dr made a good point that is saddening at the same time it is the truth. Ian will more than likely be some form of sick the rest of his life. His body has bad damage to it that meds cannot fix or surgery cannot fix. We have to understand that ian isn't exactly like the wild crazy 16 year old he used to be. His personality is the same but his body isn't. He's changed and not completely for the better son."  
Ian stretched, yawned and then opened his eyes to see barley standing at his door with the door open.

He gave barley a wierd look and barley smiled and gave ian a hug.  
"How do you feel buddy?" Barley asked ian who said, "Sleepy. I got an anxiety pill before they put the tube in. It goes all the way down to my intestines past my stomach. I had to go to radiology to get it put in. It was disgusting but oh well. Im not happy about the tube but ill have to live with it."  
Barley looked at Ian sadly and then told him he was so sorry he had to go through all he did.  
Ian shrugged his shoulders and said it was ok. It was life for him now.  
Barley helped ian out of the car and into the house to relax. Thst was when ian saw his car hooked up to the back of barleys van. Ian smiled real big and said he was happy to see his car was there.  
Barley was glad to see ian smiling and happy. "I knew you woukd like it ian. Your car means alot to you. I wanted to make sure you had it as I knew with it it made you happy and feel better."  
Ian smiled as he walked jnto the house and sat down on a chair at the table. He sighed and then rested his head in his hands.  
Barley and laurel sat out on the porch and tried to come up with a game plan for moving and quick as they didn't want ian to come out and hear them. They didn't have anything to hide, they just didn't want to upset him or stress him out.  
Charolette didn't see the tube stuck in ians nose yet so assumed ian was tired as normal.  
"How are you feeling honey. You ok?" Charolette asked ian as she patted him on the back. That was when she saw the tube taped to the right side of ians face.  
"Oh, they gave you that back huh? I can tell you aernt too happy about it and I assume they gave you a strong anti anxiety pill to calm you."  
Ian nodded and said, "Its all the way in my intestines. The dr wanted it that way because of my stomach being the shape it was in. I told him what if I'm done with the treatment, do I still keep the tube in, the dr nodded and said that the main reason for the tube being there is because of the fact the stomach was messed up from treatment and other damage and couldnt hold food well. It could but not well. It is there for a supplement not a complete nutrition plan."  
Charolette sighed and then said, "So I guess you will be having it in for the long run then?"  
Ian nodded and sighed as he rested his head in his hands once again.

Charolette patted ian on the back and then walked over towards the fridge and got a juice box out. She grabbed another juice box and handed it to ian who said thank you and took a sip.  
Afterwards, she walked outside and talked with laurel and barley.  
She sat down on the swing next to barley and said, "So, what were yall thinking. I mean, what is your plan?"  
Laurel scratched her head and then said, "its ultimately up to you mom. I mean, you and dad are the ones who is allowing us to stay with you and have home health come out until we can find a place to move to. What would you recommend?"  
"Who said you had to get yalls own place? Brian and I have a huge guest house outback. I know yall want to live close to me and Brian. And this house is 10 minuets away from the hospital. Yall can't beat that. Yall can live there for as long as yall please as long as you don't mind the country life and hearing chickens and roosters crowing and clucking. I started raising chickens for the eggs and the rooster, well he is there to help populate the chickens, and to be my alarm clock incase my phone alarm doesn't go off or I dont hear it."  
Laurel felt a few tears of joy flow down her face. She gave Charolette a big hug and kiss on the cheek and then said thank you.  
Just as they finished hugging, Brian came outside and interrupted their conversation by clearing his throat and lighting a cigar. He sat on a stool and then coughed. Barley walked over to Brian and sat down on the steps. Brian looked at barley and they both began talking about Tony the rooster and how loudly he crowed for being such a small rooster.   
Laurel and charolette went back to talking just as Ian walked outside.  
"I heard yal talking. Is everything ok?" Ian asked as he sipped on his juicebox.  
Laurel looked up and smiled and then said, "yes dear. You might as well know what we have been talking about. Your grandmother and I have been talking and we have come to the conclusion that we are staying here. Mom said that she and dad has a big guest house, 3 bedroom 2 bath, outback. It would be perfect for us and she said that we can live there as long as we want to. The hospital is 10 minuets away compared to close to 20 to 25 in town. I thought that was good. She also said that as long as we don't mind rosters and chickens w should be good."  
Suddenly, just as Ian was about to talk, Tony came flying somewhat over towards the porch and then when he landed, he landed next to barley and flapped his wings very fast as he stretched his neck. He relaxed and then crapped on barleys leg and foot.  
"Wtf man? Oh no you didn't just crap on me." Barley said, very upset Tony just shit on his brand new Tripp pants he bought last week.

"Oh barley, I see you've met Tony. This is Tony. It seems that Tony has allready said hi." Brian said laughing.  
Ian, laurel and charolette joined in laughing and barley went out to the van to change pants.  
Ian sat down on the porch steps and picked up Tony. He rubbed the roosters soft feathers and began to quietly under his breath whisper soft kind words to him.  
"Oh look, "Charolette said. "Ian is the rooster whisperer. Tony likes Ian."  
"I dont care if he craps on me. I've been crapped on for 6 months by desk dwellers and drs who dont give two shits. Bird shit is the least of my worries. At least Tony gives a shit."  
"Desk dwellers?" Charolette asked laurel who smiled and then said, "He is talking about the nurses who seem to act like they live at their station and surf Facebook and shit instead of working. You try to call them for something but instead they ignore you and talk about their nails or other drama and not move from their desks."  
"Been there seen that. We both have haven't we honey?" Brian said as he blew out his ciggar to smoke for later.  
"Yes dear. We have." Charolette said in a truthful manner. She stood up and then said, "Well laurel. Why don't you Brian and barley start taking the things over to the guest house and ill start lunch with ian. Ian shot his head around and smiled as he nodded his head. They both walked outside as barley walked back up to the porch just to have Tony peck his legs once again and charge towards him, showing male dominace as he flapped his wings. Brian looked at barley and then said, "oh no, Tony doesn't like you barley. He is trying to show male dominance towards you."  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Barley yelled as he ran for his life towards the van with Tony charging towards him behind him.  
Just as Barley got to the van, charolette whistled for Tony and he came back to the porch.  
"I hate this place and I just got here. I wanted to spend time with grama and grandpa and therefore thought it would be fantastic to live in a farm setting but now if I keep getting attacked by a rooster I never hurt or did any thing bad towards, im moving back home. I miss my friends and I miss the city life. Yall can have it. It wasnt my idea to move down here to begin with."  
Laurel sighed and then said, "mom just ignore him. He is stressed out and pissed off mightily. He will cool down sooner or later." Charolette walked inside to start lunch as she didnt want to be a part of the argument or fight that was about to take place. Ian made a mistake and walked outside and started in on the fight.  
"Oh so you are going to start the victim card again huh? What happened to the notion of 'Id do anything for my brother, id walk across broken glass and stick around to help out with my brother' card you always play, huh? So you want to take off once again and leave mom alone. You are the man of the house barley. We all need you."  
Barley charged towards the porch and got in his little brothers face. He stuck up a finger and then backed up and said, "Do you think i enjoy being here? Do you think i enjoy getting crapped and pecked on by some dumb rooster? I didnt choose to move down here. At first I thought it would be awesome to live on a farm and all but I guess I didnt think things through and now I think about it, its a horrible idea and I dont like it. I am tired of being treated like a side kick, a person on the side. I wanted to spend time with grama and grandpa but it seems like the whole 4 days we have been here all they want to do is spend time with you. I've tried to spend time with grampa but all he seems to want to do it be up your ass 24/7. He spent 20 minuets with me earlier when we were talking about Tony and about 5 minuets on July 4th before he made some excuse to get up and leave. I haven't seen my grampa since I was 3 ian and you are in the way."  
Laurel and charolette stood still for a second and then charolette spoke up and said, "barley, your grandfather and I both love you. I am sorry if you think that we are favoring Ian more over you. I assure you that isn't the case. God blessed you with a great bill of health and however Ian wasn't so lucky. We are celebrating that he has gotten out of the hospital because that means he survived and is getting better. And as for your grandfather acting as though he wasn't paying much attention to you, your grandfather has a short attention span sometimes and he doesn't try to irritate you. You need to come from our standpoint barley. Ian is the reason why y'all moved here in the first place. He is the main attraction right now. Noone will ever replace u honey. Don't think that but instead be thankful and give praise that your beloved brother is alive."  
Barley stood still for a moment and then said, "I guess you are right. I guess I let my differences come between me and my family. I'm sorry for the way I acted ok? I'm just not in a good mood right now. I'm stressed out to the max and worried to hell about Ian. He almost didn't make it and I don't know what I'd do without my little brother. Im going to take a drive. I'll be back."

Barley walked over to his van and drove off down the driveway. 

As barley drove off out of sight, Ian became mad and clenched his fists. He looked down the driveway and then said, ""Im in the way huh? 'Oh I want to stay and help my little brother. Id do anything for him. Ill go through anything for him and mom and I dont care what happens im here through it all.' Your such a liar barley. You don't care about anyone but yourself. I am the damn reason why we moved down here. My health sucks if you don't know asshole. So if people want to spend more time with me then with you then maybe thats the reason. Excuse me for being in your way you poor poor innocent wittle baby who needs to be up everyone's ass."  
Laurel patted Ian on the back and then said, "Calm down son. I understand you are upset but please try to understand where barley is coming from. He is worried to death about you and he just doesn't know how to show it. Give him time. He will calm down and things get better."  
Ian sighed and then sat down on the swing.  
He coughed a bit and began to sputter when he breathed so laurel got the oxygen concentrator and helped Ian put the oxygen mask on. Ian smiled and then gave his mom a hug.  
"Thanks for helping me mom. I'm so happy to have yall."  
Ian rested his head on his mom's chest and let a few tears out.  
Tears of frustration and pain that he held back for a while.  
Charolette heard it and both she and her husband came out and comforted Ian as well.  
Soon, Ian calmed down and went inside the house, slumping over on the couch and relaxing. 

An hour later, barley came staggering inside the house. He reaked of beer, moonshine and whisky. His eyes were glossy and glazed over as anyone's eyes would be if they heavily drank and we're drunk off their ass.  
Ian watched as barley staggered over to the opposite side of the couch and sit down. He stared drunkenly at the blank tv screen and then started to pass out.

"Finally come home?" Ian asked barley who nodded and said in slurred speech, "I was home the whole time. I just parked on the backside of the house. Noone saw me or heard me. I went to the gas station to buy a 5 pack of beer and then went to the back of the house behind the chicken coop under a tree. I sat on the roof and got shitfaced drunk. I had stored some whisky and moonshine in the van for a moment like this so now both small bottles of alcohol are gone and so is the 5 pack. I threw up before I drove back around to the front yard."  
"I don't much blame you for being mad at me if you were. I know I'm a lot to deal with right now and I know you are stressed. I can't imagine what emotionally you are going through but I'm sorry for being a problem."  
Barley scooted over closer towards Ian and then said, "Ian I'm not mad at you. I'm worried to sick about you and have been ever since all this shit started when you turned 16. I wanted my little brother to be healthy and be able to do and go so many places and have fun, I didn't want you to be sick and hurt. It tears me up inside to see you like this and I know this is your new you for a while. I never planned for things to go like this or be this way." And with that comment barley passed out on the couch, wasted off his ass.  
Soon after barley passed out, ian got up and went to his bedroom and fell asleep. 

The next morning, barley apologized to Ian for what he said and apologized to everyone else. He explained why he said what he did and how he felt. He even explained why he was experiencing the worst hangover known to man. Everyone forgave him and gave him a hug.


End file.
